Star Wars Episode VII: The New Republic
by LOAP
Summary: After the destruction of the second Death Star, Luke Skywalker learns more about the Jedi way, while Han and Lando plan an attack on Corscount, the capital of the Empire.
1. Introduction

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Star Wars

Episode VII: The New Republic

It is a glorious time for the Rebel Alliance. With the destruction of the second Death Star and the death of Emperor Palpatine, the Rebel Alliance has been able to free many star systems enslaved by the dark Empire.

In an effort to stop the Rebel Alliance from freeing anymore star systems, Lord Loren, the new ruler of the crumbling Empire, has captured a battalion of Rebel troopers and has imprisoned them on the fortressed planet of Fornar.

To save his comrades from the imprisonment of the Empire, Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi Knight in the galaxy, agrees to surrender himself to the Empire and is taken to Fornar to be exchanged for the captured Rebels.


	2. The Valued Prisoner

**The New Republic**

**The Valued Prisoner**

The quietness of the vast galaxy was interrupted by an Imperial Lambda-class shuttle breaking out of hyperspace and heading towards the gray planet of Fornar. Slowing down in speed, the Imperial shuttle passed the planet's stratosphere and glided across the rocky metallic surface towards one of the many landing platforms of the Imperial prison. Reaching the landing platform, the shuttle stopped and gently landed down on the landing platform. Once the shuttle was settled, a door ramp lowered down from the front of the shuttle and out of the shuttle came a dozen storm troopers, an Imperial captain, a R2 unit, and a human prisoner dressed in a black robe. The small group made their way over to the entrance where they were greeted by a small battalion of stormtroopers and an Imperial officer. The Imperial captain raised his hand, and the stormtroopers stopped with their prisoner.

The Imperial officer walked up to the captain and his prisoner.

"State your rank and purpose here."

"I am Captain Ganda, Commander, and I am here to deliver this prisoner into your care," stated the captain.

"Prisoner, Captain?" asked the commander.

"Yes," replied Captain Ganda, "Lord Loren had instructed me to transport the prisoner Luke Skywalker to Fornar where he is to be imprisoned till his fate is decided in the Imperial Senate."

The commander turned and faced the prisoner.

"Are you Luke Skywalker, commander of the Rebel Alliance and the last of the Jedi?"

The prisoner stared into the commander's eyes and smiled.

"Yes," he said, "And I expect my comrades to be released as soon as possible as Lord Loren and I had agreed on."

A confused look appeared on the commander's face.

"Release the Rebel scum?" asked the commander to the captain.

"Yes, Commander Cartim," answered Captain Ganda, "Lord Loren had made a deal with Commander Skywalker to release the Rebel prisoners in change of his surrender. I got my orders from Lord Loren himself to see to it that you release the Rebels."

Commander Cartim looked back at Luke and then smiled back at Captain Ganda.

"None of the Rebels are to be released from their cells, and Commander Skywalker will stay here in a cell."

A surprised look grew on Captain Ganda's face.

"But Commander Cartim, Lord Loren had ordered…"

"Lord Loren has just contacted me before your shuttle had arrived and had broken the deal. Commander Skywalker shall stay here as a prisoner, no more, no less."

Commander Cartim turned and faced Luke, expecting to see a surprise look on his face. Luke's face, however, remained the same.

"For a Jedi, you are very foolish to think you could make a deal with the Empire and expect to get your end of the bargain," said Commander Cartim, the smile still on his face.

Luke smiled back at Commander Cartim.

"We'll see who's really the fool."

"I'm afraid we already have," said Commander Cartim and then turned to one of the stormtroopers.

"Take Commander Skywalker to cell number 41B."

"Yes Commander," said the stormtrooper and led Luke through the entrance and into an elevator. The stormtrooper pressed a button on the side panel, and the elevator closed its door and moved down the building. When the elevator stopped, the stormtrooper opened the door and led Luke through the cell room to cell number 41B. The stormtrooper unlocked the cell door and led Luke into his cell. When Luke was in his cell, the stormtrooper unlocked his hand binders and relocked the cell door. With Luke now in the cell, the stormtrooper went through the cell room and stood guard with the other stormtroopers.

Inside the cell, Luke rubbed his sore wrists to get the blood moving again and sat down on the cell bed. He didn't expect Lord Loren to keep his part of the deal, so Luke had come up with a plan of his own. All that he had to do now was to wait till help arrived.

"You have done your duty," Commander Cartim said to Captain Ganda, "Go back to Coruscant and tell Lord Loren that we now have Luke Skywalker as our prisoner."

Captain Ganda shook his head.

"I'm sorry Commander Cartim, but I can't go back yet. Lord Loren had ordered me to check your security."

"Check our security?" asked Commander Cartim.

"Yes Commander." explained Captain Ganda, "Lord Loren had heard that you were having problems with your security computer and wanted me to check it out."

"We did have some technical errors with the computer, but now we have fixed those errors and everything is working well again," reassured Commander Cartim.

Captain Ganda shook his head.

"I got strict orders from Lord Loren to make sure that the security computer is all right. You may have fixed the errors, but I am sure there are other ones that you are unaware of that could happened if I don't take care of it."

"How do you expect to check the computer?"

"This little droid will check the whole system to make sure it is free from errors," Captain Ganda said and pointed to the little R2 unit.

Commander Cartim looked carefully at the R2 unit.

"What is its number?"

"R2-D2, Commander."

At hearing its name, R2 beeped loudly at Commander Cartim.

"Are you sure this R2 unit is capable of fixing the security computer? Our other R2 units couldn't fix the computer, and this one is smaller than the other ones."

Captain Ganda smiled at Commander Cartim and said, "This little droid is capable of doing many things."

Commander Cartim nodded to Captain Ganda's statement and looked again at R2, who was beeping excitedly over the whole conversation about him.

Finally, Commander Cartim looked back at Captain Ganda and nodded in agreement.

"Very well, Captain. Bring this droid to the security room and have it check our security computer. I expect to hear the status report when you are done," said Commander Cartim and with a wave of his hands, he and his stormtroopers left Captain Ganda and walked to the doors of the building.

"Where will I find you to give you my report?" asked Captain Ganda.

Commander Cartim opened the elevator door and faced Captain Ganda.

"I will be in the communication room," said Commander Cartim, "I will contact Lord Loren and tell him that your mission here is complete."

And saying that, Commander Cartim pushed the button on the side panel and disappeared behind the elevator door.

Captain Ganda and his stormtroopers made their way through the hallway of the Imperial prison. They passed by many other stormtroopers and Imperial officers, but none of them bothered to stop the group and went on with their duties. They were, after all, part of the Imperial army.

Coming to the next elevator, Captain Ganda opened the door and went inside. The stormtroopers followed him inside the elevator and last but not least, R2-D2 managed to squeeze his way into the large elevator. Seeing that everyone was in, Captain Ganda pushed the button, and the elevator door closed and moved up through the elevator shaft.

When the elevator stopped, Captain Ganda opened the door and stepped out into the security room; the others did the same thing.

The Imperial employees stopped what they were doing and looked at Captain Ganda and his stormtroopers. An Imperial officer went up to Captain Ganda and saluted him.

"Sir," he said, "We have received word that you were sent here to check on our security computer. I assure you that would not be necessary; we have fixed the problems."

"I understand, but I have strict orders from Lord Loren himself to have this little R2 unit check your security computer to make sure there is nothing wrong with it."

As Captain Ganda talked with the Imperial officer, R2-D2 made his over to the security computer and stuck his little plug into it. R2 beeped excitedly as his plug went back and forth into the computer.

Suddenly, one of the employees got out of his chair.

"Sirs!" he said in excitement, "The security cameras had been disabled!"

The Imperial officer stopped talking with Captain Ganda and looked at the employee's computer screen. On the screen, a red message flashed back and forth on the computer. The other computers were getting the same message.

The Imperial officer looked angrily at Captain Ganda.

"What is your little droid doing? He just disabled the security cameras!"

"It's all part of the process of checking the security system," reassured Captain Ganda.

The Imperial officer, however, was not satisfied with his answer.

"What is your code number, Captain?" asked the officer angrily.

Captain Ganda smiled and pulled out his blaster.

"This is," he said and shot the officer in the chest.

Seeing their officer being shot, the Imperial employees pulled out their blasters, but the stormtroopers immediately began firing at the unprepared employees. When the last employee was shot, one of the stormtroopers went over to the main computer and turned off the security alarm that was ready to turn on. When the alarm was turned off, the stormtrooper took off his helmet, revealing not the face of a clone, but the face of Captain Hans Solo.

"Good job, Lando! I couldn't have done it better myself," he said to Captain Ganda.

"It is something I am always good at," said Captain Ganda.

Hans smiled at his friend and went towards R2.

"Okay, R2," he said, "immobilize the main guns."

R2 gave a little beep and turned his plug around in the computer outlet. Soon another warning appeared on the computer screens.

Hans took out his communicator.

"Chewie!"

A small growl came out of the communicator.

"The main guns are now immobilized."

A friendly growl came out of the communicator.

"Leia!"

"Hans?" came a female voice from the communicator.

"Tell Wade and the others that the main guns are immobilized. They can start the attack!"

"Roger!"

Hans then turned to Lando.

"Go get Luke."

"I am on my way," said Lando as he left the room and went into the elevator.

Hans went over to the main computer and turned off the message that was waiting to be called. He remembered the last time he played as an Imperial employee, and it ended up in the garbage chute. It was better to just wait for the stormtroopers to come on up and investigate.

Hans went over to the other "stormtroopers" and readied himself. Someone was sure to hear the blasters, and most likely a squad of stormtroopers would come up and investigate.

"Just like old times," said Hans to himself.


	3. Prisoner Escape

**Prisoner Escape**

"Contact Lord Loren at the Senate Building in Coruscant," commanded Commander Cartim to one of the Imperial employees in the communication room.

"Yes, sir," said the employee, and he pressed a button on his computer screen.

A noise of static filled the air as the hologram image of Lord Loren appeared in the center of the room. All the Imperial employees stopped their work and watched as Commander Cartim made his way to the hologram. Once there, Commander Cartim bowed his head quickly at the hologram image, hoping to please the new emperor.

Lord Loren, however, was far from pleased.

"What do you want, Commander Cartim?" Loren asked in a quiet, yet, angry tone.

Commander Cartim nervously looked up at the emperor. Rumor had it that Lord Loren was trained by Emperor Palpatine himself to use the dark side of the Force, and Commander Cartim knew full well that the worst thing in the galaxy to do was to upset a Sith Lord.

Still, Lord Loren being a Sith Lord wasn't going to stop Commander Cartim from doing his duty. After all, he was being paid a handsome wage; one that most citizens of the Empire would be lucky to get in a lifetime.

"Lord Loren, Captain Ganda had just delivered Luke Skywalker into our hands."

Lord Loren's clean face did not change in emotion.

"What cell is he being held in?"

"Cell number 41B," replied Commander Cartim.

"Is cell 41B the strongest cell you have?" asked Lord Loren.

"I assure you, Lord Loren, that the Jedi cannot break out of his cell," said Commander Cartim with a small smile on his nervous face.

"And what of your security computer?" asked Loren, "I heard it crashed the other week."

"Captain Ganda is fixing any errors in the program at this instance," said Commander Cartim.

"Good," said Lord Loren in a calmer voice, "You have done well, Commander. I want you to place extra guards down in the prison level that has cell 41B."

Commander Cartim looked up at Lord Loren in surprise.

"But your Excellency, I have already told you that…"

"Quiet!" said Loren, his voice rising angrily at Commander Cartim.

Surprised by the anger in the emperor's voice, Commander Cartim stopped talking and stared at Lord Loren, his eyes full of fear.

Lord Loren quieted his voice but the anger was still in it.

"Did you ever encounter a Jedi before, Commander?"

"Why, no but I…"

"Then stop your babbling and obey my orders," hissed Loren, "Why do you think that my Master wiped out the Jedi before establishing the Empire? The Jedi are the only beings that can destroy the Empire!"

"But, Lord Loren, how can this one Jedi be of any danger to the Empire?"

"This Jedi that you refer to was the one who destroyed my Master, Emperor Palpatine," said Lord Loren.

Commander Cartim could easily see the anger coming from the new emperor, and he did not want to be the target of the Sith's anger.

"My apologies, my Lord," apologized Commander Cartim, "I will order more stormtroopers to section 4B."

"Good, and contact me when Captain Ganda is done with checking the security computer."

"Yes, sir," said Commander Cartim, but the hologram image of Lord Loren had disappeared. From the room.

With the Sith Lord now gone, Commander Cartim turned to one of the Imperial employees.

"Send a dozen stormtroopers to guard section 4B."

"Yes, sir," said the employee and went straight to work.

Commander Cartim walked away from busy employees and looked out at one of the windows in the communication room. A whole legion of stormtroopers in white uniforms marched across the metallic surface of the prison, setting out to do their duties. Commander Cartim gave a small smile; he loved having power.

A sudden blast echoed across the room.

Commander Cartim turned around and looked at the Imperial employees.

"What was that?"

"It sounded like blasters, Sir," said one of the employees.

"Which room did it come from?" asked Commander Cartim.

The employee pressed one of the buttons on his computer.

"The security room, sir," said the employee.

A nervous look came across Commander Cartim's face.

"Contact the security room," commanded Commander Cartim.

"Yes, sir."

As the employee contacted the security room, Commander Cartim waited patiently by the window. After his talk with Lord Loren, Commander Cartim hoped that nothing bad was going to happen while the last of the Jedi stayed in their prison.

The elevator door opened up, and Captain Ganda stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway. Several Imperial officers and stormtroopers passed by Captain Ganda, unaware of his real identity: General Lando Calrissian, one of the greatest leaders in the Rebel Alliance. While his friend, General Han Solo, was a great fighter and pilot, Lando was a great leader with special social skills that far outrank his rude friend. That was why he was assigned to be Captain Ganda; who else knew how to behave like an Imperial officer than Lando himself.

And in this mission, Lando was the key player.

Lando walked along in the hallway, minding his own business as every other officer was doing. When he came to the elevator, Lando opened the door and stepped inside the elevator. Being inside, Lando pressed the floor level he wanted to be on: section 4B.

Instinctively, the elevator door closed, and Lando felt the elevator go down the elevator chute to section 4B: the section that held Luke Skywalker.

"Commander Cartim, we are not receiving a reply from the security room!"

Commander Cartim turned around from the window and looked at the employee at the computer.

"Why not," asked Commander Cartim.

"It seems that one of the officers turned off our message," said the employee.

"Commander," said another employee, "The computer had picked up an alarm that was set off from the security room."

Commander Cartim went over to the employee and looked at the computer screen. Sure enough, there was an alarm going off on the screen.

Commander Cartim turned to one of his lieutenants that was in the room.

"Take a squad of stormtrooper and go to the security room. Once there bring me Captain Ganda."

"Yes sir," said the lieutenant and marched out of the room.

Commander Cartim then turned to the employee.

"Send a message to all the officers that if they see Captain Ganda, they are to send him to the communication room immediately."

"Yes, sir."

Commander Cartim watched as the employee sent out the message. Something was wrong here, and Commander Cartim had a feeling it had to deal with Captain Ganda.

Lando stepped out of the elevator and entered section 4B. A squad of stormtroopers guarded the entrance, but seeing that Lando looked like an Imperial officer, they let him pass. Lando nodded his head at them and walked down the hallway.

Lando passed by dozens of cells before he finally came to cell number 41B. Watching the stormtroopers carefully, Lando unlocked the cell door and opened it up. There on the cell bed was Luke Skywalker.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

"Oh, you know, Luke. Dealing with Imperial officers takes a while," said Lando.

Luke got off of the bed and stood in front of Lando.

"You know what to do," he said.

Lando turned Luke around and locked his hands in hand binders behind his back. Then Lando push Luke out of his cell and closed it.

"Now comes the hard part," said Lando, and he pushed Luke down the hallway to the elevator. They were stopped by the stormtroopers.

"Halt!"

Lando stopped and stuck one of his hands behind his back, grasping a small tube-like object from his pants.

"Where are you going with the prisoner?" commanded the lead stormtrooper.

"I am taking him to cell number 56A," said Lando, no urgency in his voice. His hand, however, grasped the tube-like object even tighter.

"What is your position?" asked the stormtrooper.

"Captain Ganda of the Imperial cruiser _Achilles_." said Lando.

The stormtrooper suddenly pointed his blaster at Lando.

"Captain Ganda. Commander Cartim was looking for you. I am to report you to the communication room immediately."

Lando looked at Luke, and ever so carefully, his hand took out the tube-like object from his pants and put it into Luke's bound hands.

"What about my prisoner?" asked Lando.

"My troops will take him back to his original cell."

The stormtroopers approached Luke, but before they could grab him, Luke suddenly did a flip over the surprised clones and landed behind them. A green beam of light popped out from Luke's back, freeing his hands from his binder. With his hands now free, Luke brought his lightsaber in front of him, ready to defend himself.

"Attack him," commanded the leader.

The stormtroopers began blasting at Luke but proved to be no match for a Jedi Knight. Luke easily blocked off the laser bolts and bounced them back at their shooters. One by one, the stormtroopers fell down to the ground. Luke then began his attack, slashing his lightsaber skillfully into the wounded guards. Soon, all of the stormtroopers lay dead on the floor.

Luke looked around to make sure there were no other guards and then deactivated his lightsaber.

"Where are the Rebel soldiers being held," asked Luke to Lando.

"Section 10C."

Luke ran over to the elevator and opened the door.

"Come on," Luke said to Lando.

Lando ran into the elevator, and Luke punched the side panel button. The elevator door closed, and Luke and Lando went down the elevator chute to section 10C: the location of the Rebel prisoners.


	4. The Urgency of Both Sides

**The Urgency of Both Sides**

Up in the security room, Han and the other "stormtroopers" waited in front of the elevator door, blasters in defense position. There was only one entrance to the security room, and Han knew what happened last time when his only escape route was blocked off. He was going to stand his ground and blast those clone soldiers out of their minds!

Over at the computer, R2-D2 was turning his plug around in the panel, scanning the video cameras for any approaching stormtroopers.

"Beeporop!" beeped R2.

Han turned to the droid who quickly posted up the video camera's image on one of the computer's screen. The screen showed a dozen stormtroopers getting into their elevator and closing the door.

Han turned to R2.

"R2, shut down all the elevators!"

R2 beeped a small sigh and worked franticly with his plug. Soon enough, a message on the computer's screen flared up saying "All elevators have been deactivated."

"Good," said Han, "Now keep an eye on them."

"Beep Beep!"

Han sighed and went over to the other stormtroopers and waited in front of the elevator. All that he had to do was to stall the Imperials long enough to let Luke and Lando free the Rebel battalion from their cells and lead on the attack.

And that was where the fun part began.

"Sir!" said the Imperial employee, "All of the elevators had been shut down!"

Commander Cartim turned to the employee and looked at his computer screen. The screen showed a warning of all the elevators having been shut down, just as the employee had said.

"Captain Ganda must be behind this!" said Commander Cartim angrily and slammed his fist down on the desk, trying to store away his anger and replace it with common sense.

"Try to fix it now!"

"But sir…"

"Do it!"

The silent employee immediately followed his order and left Commander Cartim alone with his thoughts as he moved back to the window.

"First the security cameras and now the elevators," murmured Cartim, "What else is that fool going to do next?"

"Luke, the elevator is shutting down!"

Hearing urgency in Lando's voice, Luke studied the elevator buttons just as the elevator stopped. Luke pressed the emergency button, but nothing happened.

Luke quickly turned to Lando.

"What prison level are we on?"

Lando quickly checked the computer and looked back at Luke.

"Between prison level C8 and C9."

Luke nodded at Lando's answer and pressed the emergency button again. Still nothing happened.

"Do you have your communicator?" Luke asked Lando.

"Yes, but most likely the Imperials will be able to hack in with our conversation. We dare not risk contacting Han or R2."

Luke took in Lando's answer and looked at the elevator's ceiling.

"Look's like we have to do this the hard way."

Before Lando could reply, Luke activated his lightsaber and started cutting the ceiling into one giant circle. The soft metal gave way to Luke's lightsaber's beam and soon enough, Lando backed off just as the circular piece of ceiling dropped down to the elevator's floor.

Luke deactivated his lightsaber and grabbed Lando's arm.

"Hang on."

Sensing the Force around his body, Luke quickly Force-leaped out the hole he had made with Lando hanging on to him and landed on the roof of the elevator. Lando quickly let go of Luke, but when he looked down the elevator chute they were in, he quickly grabbed hold of Luke's arm.

Not paying attention to Lando, Luke looked down the elevator shaft and saw the entrance to prison level C9. Using the Force to clear his mind from distractions, Luke sensed the clone troopers guarding the prison level area, all ready for any emergency. This was going to harder than Luke thought, but it was the only way to do it.

"Lando, hang on tightly," Luke said to Lando, but there was no need to because Lando was already holding on to Luke as tight as he could. Though he had braved many dangers in his lifetime, Lando was never comfortable about hanging high above the ground without a ship or jetpack.

Taking a deep breath, Luke (along with a frightened Lando hugging tightly to his body) jumped off the elevator and fell into the elevator shaft.

Gaining speed from the force of gravity, Luke nonetheless stayed calm, keeping his mind focused on the task at hand.

As Luke and Lando flew past the entrance to prison level C9, Luke quickly grabbed a hook out of his belt and tossed it up above his head. The hook latched on to a small pipe in the elevator chute, and instinctively, Luke and Lando recoiled back up the chute and into the entry way.

While Lando was trying to recover his breath, Luke sensed danger and quickly activated his lightsaber. The stormtroopers, who were now just getting over the sight they had just seen, approached the two men and started firing their blasters. Instinctively, Lando rolled away from Luke and pulled out his pistol, but never fired a shot. Using the Force as a guide, Luke had easily deflected all of the enemy's laser blasts back at their owners, killing all the stormtroopers quickly with their own weapons.

Lando gently put his pistol back in his holster and went over to Luke, who was still holding his initiated lightsaber.

"You could have at least saved one of those troopers for me," teased Lando.

"By the time you would have blasted them, your whole body would have been blasted to pieces," replied Luke with a small smile on his face.

Lando stood silently as he watched Luke stroll across the prison hallway, his lightsaber still in his hands.

"With the elevator shut down, how are we going to get to level C10?" asked Lando.

Luke turned to Lando and grinned.

"By using an old Jedi method."

"What is taking you so long to fix the elevators?" commanded Commander Cartim.

"There appears to be something jamming our digital commands," said the employee.

"I do not want excuses! I want facts! What is jamming our system?"

"It seems that a R2 unit had hacked into the security system and is shutting down all of our defenses along with the elevators."

Commander Cartim stared angrily at the employee.

"You mean that our guns are no longer operational?'

"If the computer is right, then yes, I am afraid so."

Commander Cartim quickly walked away from the employee and stormed across the room to another employee.

"Had Lieutenant Bouners reached the security level yet?"

"No, sir," said the employee, "They are stuck inside elevator 440."

Unsatisfied with the news from his employee, Cartim turned to the other employee with glaring eyes.

"Get elevator 440 operational again!"

"Yes, sir!" said the employee and went immediately back to work with Commander Cartim by his side, lost in his anger and his thoughts of his own misdoings.

Han Solo was getting anxious waiting for the stormtroopers to arrive when a sharp beep echoed across the room. Han looked behind him, and to his horror, he saw R2 jolt back from the electric outlet he was plugged into and bang into one of the desks inside the room. The little blue droid quickly got up again and went back to the computer outlet, but before he could do so, a small door closed around the outlet, making it impenetrable for R2 to replug himself back in the computer outlet.

"Beeoop!" beeped R2 angrily.

"Great!" said Han but before he could say anything more, the elevator door opened revealing a dozen stormtroopers and a Imperial officer holding a pistol in front of Han's chest.

"Drop your weapons or I will shoot him," the officer said to the other "stormtroopers" in the room.

One by one, each of the "stormtroopers" dropped their blasters to the ground and held their hands in the air. Han did the same.

"Take off your helmets," the officer said to the "stormtroopers" again.

Each of the "stormtroopers took off their helmet, revealing not the faces of a cloned man, but the faces of a dozen different Rebel soldiers.

"Just as I suspected," said the officer with a smile on his face.

Han gave a nervous smile back at the officer as he put his hands behind his back.

"You know," said Han in his friendly voice, "I went to an Imperial Academy for five years and have seen many types of computer security systems, but none have compared to your own. What type is it?"

"It is none of your business, you Rebel scum!"

"Oh, I do not think you are talking to the right fellow here. I am not the one interested in your technology," Hans said and stood closer to the officer to block his view as R2-D2 made his way slowly over to the unsuspecting officer.

"Really, then who is," the officer asked skeptically.

"He is," Han said and at that moment, R2 pulled out his little electric plug and shocked the officer in the leg. The officer quickly dropped his pistol and rubbed his leg as Han grabbed the injured officer, pulled out the little grenade he had in his back belt, and placed it on the officer's chest.

"Never underestimate an astro droid," advised Han, and he quickly flung the officer into the elevator and into the stormtrooper's arms.

"R2, now!"

Before the stormtroopers could react, R2 plugged into the elevator and closed the elevator door. A moment later, a muffled explosion was heard and the elevator blew open, revealing the dead bodies of the officer and his stormtroopers.

Han grabbed his blaster and went over to the desk. Another message was waiting to be answered from the communication room, and, without hesitation, Han quickly deleted it. There would be no use trying to explain everything to Commander Cartim.

"As soon as we get the signal from Lando, we will join him at the prison levels," Han said to the other Rebels.

Down in prison level C10, five clone guards stood guard over the elevator entrance, silently talking to one another about the laser blasts that were heard earlier just one floor above them. If there was an enemy Rebel on the loose and wanted to get to level C10, the clone guards would be expecting him.

Suddenly a loud humming noise broke their quiet conversation. The guards looked up at the ceiling and to their horror; the ceiling was being cut into one large circle by a bright green light. Before they could move to safety, the green light finished making the circle and the ceiling tile fell on top of the guards, knocking them out instantly.

As soon as the hole was made, Luke Skywalker jumped down through the hole and onto prison level C10. Lando Calrissian was standing by the whole in the floor, waiting for Luke's orders.

"Lando, take this and hook it up to one of the prison doors," Luke said and quickly took out his hook and threw it up thru the hole. Lando caught the hook and hooked it to one of the doors and then climbed down the thin rope into prison level C10.

"What is the code combination to the prison cells," asked Luke.

"IMP-351."

Losing no time, Luke went over to the nearest cell and tried out the lock combination. Immediately the cell door opened, revealing a surprised Rebel prisoner lying on his bed. The Rebel looked oddly at his rescuer, but he immediately got out of his bed and joined Luke and Lando as they entered the lock combination into all the other prison doors. Soon enough, the prison level was filled with over a hundred freed Rebel soldiers, some human, and some alien.

Luke looked at Lando and nodded his head.

"Signal Han that the prisoners had been freed."

Lando nodded in agreement and took out his communicator.

'What's that?" asked Han as he spoke into his communicator.

"Luke and I have succeeded in freeing the prisoners," said Lando's voice in the communicator, "Meet us at prison level A1. Tell Leia that she can begin her attack."

"I hear you, old buddy," replied Han and turned off his communicator.

"Let's go!" he said to the other Rebels and went inside the elevator. The other Rebel soldiers joined him, but R2 stayed where he was, unsure of what to do.

"Stay here in case we need your assistance," Han said and tossed his communicator on the desk.

R2 beeped a reply just as the elevator closed between the small band of Rebels and the astro droid.


End file.
